Maria Povec, American Alpine Club Policy & Programs Director, meeting with Alex Honnold and Tim Kaine during the congressional briefing at the annual Climb the Hill event in Washington, DC.

Policy and Programs Director Maria Povec is leaving her post at the AAC to serve as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Maine Governor’s Office of Innovation and the Future. During her time at the Club, Maria helped to develop and drive the AAC’s Policy Program. She organized the first-ever Climb the Hill event, a high-profile climbing advocacy event in Washington, DC that is now in partnership with Access Fund. More recently, she took over management of a number of the AAC’s other social programs.

"Since starting with the Club, I’ve been blown away by the power of the climbing community. Our community has a strong voice and is turning heads in Washington, DC. Together, we have brought more awareness to the issues that impact climbers, outdoor recreation and our nation’s wild landscapes,” said Maria. “It’s been a privilege to work for the AAC and a privilege to collaborate with our valued partners at Access Fund, American Mountain Guide Association, Outdoor Alliance, and many others.”

Indeed, according to Mark Butler, AAC Board Member and Chair of the Club’s Policy Committee, “Maria’s dedication to building strong, respectful professional relationships within the policy community, as well has her ability and commitment to strengthen strategic initiatives with the Club’s policy partners, has supercharged the AAC’s policy and advocacy efforts. Her actions have energized the effectiveness of the AAC’s policy program and built a foundation on which the ACC will continue to strongly advocate for climbers, and for the public lands that are valuable to the climbing community.”

AAC has a solid team in position to advance our policy work and other program areas. Taylor Luneau will take the helm of the Policy Program. He has dual master's degrees in natural resource law, science and policy from Vermont Law School and the University of Vermont. He is an AMGA apprentice guide, a skilled athlete and a committed advocate for the climbing community. In his time at the AAC, he has demonstrated solid leadership and expertise.

All of us at the AAC are thankful to Maria, and wish her the best as she begins her new position.